Airplane engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1937. w. N. MORGAN AIRPLANE ENGINE Filed sept. s, 1954 W. N Marr/m1@ y Patented Dec. 7,191.37

AIRPLANE ENGINE A Wayne N. Morgan, Merced, Calif( w Application september-s, 1934, serial No. massil a oiaims. Y (criss- 56j This invention relates to internal 'combustion engines and particularly to a four cycle gas engine especially designed vfor airplane use where the weight of the enginev per horse power must be kept as low as possible.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an engine for this purpose constructed in' such a manner that the power of a vfour cyhnder` engine isobtained with anengine of vpractically l0 the same size and weight as one of two cylinders v constructed in the conventional manner.

This constructionV involves the use of cylinders closed at both ends with a piston in Aeach cylinder, and a means to take inand fire charges on `both sides of the pistons inalternating relation.

The` pistons -thereforertend to become very hot and another object of `my invention is kto provide for circulating a cooling.. liquid through the pisbe kept within reasonable limits. Y, A

lIhe pistons are connected so as to reciprocate as a unit and a further object is to Aarrange the connecting means so that the heat imparted tons as the engine operates so that the heat willV thereto from the pistons and the exploding mixg5 ture will be rapidly dissipated, notonly prevent-4 ing such connecting means from possibly warping but aiding in cooling the pistons themselves.

Also,` the connecting means above mentioned is of such aj nature that rigidity of the reciprocatingunitis obtained, as well `as a constant piston travel relative to crank pin travel, and mostV of the usual Vvibration is avoided.

A further object of the invention is to produceV a simple and inexpensive device and yet one 3:3 which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as` will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. j

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts vin theseveral views: l Y

Figure vl is a sectional Velevation of my improved engine.

4Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side View Y partly inA section of the pistonand cross head unit, showing the circulating larrang-ement forV the piston cooling medium. Y

50 Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on thev Cal integral heads and also at their' innerendsby. suitably formed abutments 2; AVVThe cylinders are rigidly'connected to a crank case 3 which is dis-` posed therebetween.

` Hollow pistons l of` drum-like form and closed 5 on both ends are slidable in the cylinders. r A

4 slotted `cross head. 5 is disposed-in lthe crank case,

in the slot of which cross head slides a block B. It isof courseunde'rstood :that this slot'extends zin `a direction at riglfltA angles to the axial "line`l0- of the pistons.` Theorank pin of a'counterbalanced crankshaft `8 is turnable-in the block,V

the length of the cross'head slot being of course not less. than the full throw of the 'crank'. 1

Rods 9 parallel to the axis of the pist'orisare 15' secured. to the cross heads andV project from opposite sides of the same through the abutments` and extend along and in `contact with the pis'-` tons at diametrallyopposed points; Iso that said rods are adjacent the cylinder walls; The rods 2o are secured tothe pistons by transverse tie pins IE5 extending. therethroughv (see FigureZ), said pins `being relatively .thick in the fdirection of 'shearing strains but 'thin transversely of the pis-` tons and rods."v The rods are slidable in sleeves'll 25r projecting through the abutments and extending from end to end of the' cylinders,` said'sleevesV being snugly fitted in the abutments and cylinders so that there'is no leakage thereabout. In

this manner while the cylinders closely surround 301 thefpistons they; also surroundV the 'rod` sleeves `as clearly shown. in Figure 3. 1

The sleeves closely surroundthe` -rods 'except Vwhere theyV are split lengthwise for a width equal to that of the pins lil.

Compression rings I2 35 about the rods engage the sleeves to prevent leakage while similar rings I3 about the pistons on both sides of the connecting pins engage the walls of the cylinders. It will thus be seen that the pistons and cross heads are of course so dis- 40 posed-relative to the cross head that when said cross head is at its limit of movement in one direction, one piston is adjacent the abutment of its cylinder while the other piston isY adjacent the outer head of the corresponding cylinder.

The outer head of each cylinder has intake andl exhaust valves I4 of the usual character mounted therein., while the abutments have similar transversely spaced valves, the stems I5 of which project inside the crank case.Y A pair of opposed cam shafts I6 driven from the crank shaft in any suitable manner extend through the crank case clear of the path of movement of the-cross head. One cam shaft has cams I1 thereon which Vseparately engage one end of bell crank rocker arms I8. These arms at their opposite ends engage the stems l5 of the abutment intake valves, the other intake valves I4 being actuated from the same cam shaft by suitable means on the outside of the crank case and engine as indicated. The various exhaust valves are similarly operated from the other cam shaft in properly timed relation to the operation of the intake valves, and since such exhaust Valve arrangement would be identical with that of the intake valves it is not thought necessary to illustrate the same, since they are located on that side of the engine which is removed in the sectional elevation. 'I'he cams will of course be set so as to obtain any desired firing order of the cylinders and the mechanism for operating the Valves may be different from that shown.

In any event however it will be seen that explosive mixtures will be alternately received in the cylinders on opposite sides of the pistons, so that each cylinder and piston is therefore equal' to a pair of cylinders and pistons of the usual engine and space and weight are greatly con-` served. Y

The pistons are thus unavoidably subjected to great heat, and while some of this heat is carried' away by the rods 9 which are practically in contact with the cooled cylinder walls, it is desirable to more definitely cool the pistons. This is preferably done by the following arrangement:

The crank shaft and crank pin are hollow and oil is circulated therethrough for lubricating purposes as is now commonly done with forced feed lubricating systems. Oil from the interior of the crank pin feeds through a port I9 therein to a circumferential groove 20 in the block 6. This groove is in communication with the opposite edges of the block 6 by passages 2|. Each passage is adapted to communicate, during a portion of the stroke of the block, with the outer end of a passage 22 in the crosshead which leads to` the adjacent end of a passage 23 extending lengthwise. through one of the rods 9 which projects from that side of the cross head. The opposite end of the passage 23 communicates with a passage 24 in the corresponding tie pin I0, said passage opening into the interior of the corresponding hollow piston 4. Another passage 25 in said pin communicates with the interior of the piston and also with a longitudinal passage 26 in the other rod 9,A which passage 26 discharges into the crank case at the edge of the cross head slot, as shown in Figure 2.

It will therefore be seen that oil is intermittently circulated through the pistons with the operation of the engine. In this manner not only are the pistons themselves kept in a reasonably cool condition, but this cooling action is also imparted to the connecting rods through which the oil is flowing. The oil discharged into the crank case is as usual pumped back into the system, being cooled before being returned into the crank shaft as is now commonly done.

The engine may be mounted in position in the airplane by any suitable means, which preferably comprises a plurality of rods or tubing 21 extending parallel to the crank shaft and engaging the outside of the crank case at circumferentially spaced points in cradling relation therewith and being clamped thereto, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gas engine having a cylinder closed at both ends and a piston slidable in the cylinder, rods parallel to the piston disposed in contact with and secured to the peripheral face thereof at diametrally opposed points, and guide elements in the cylinder about the rods, said elements and the cylinder walls following the contour of and engaging the piston and rods throughout the non-contacting areas of the latter.

2. A piston and rod unit comprising with a piston, a pair of rods disposed parallel to the piston and contacting the peripheral face of the same at diametrally opposed points, and a cross pin projecting through the piston and rods diametrally thereof and tying the same together.

3. A structure as in claim 2, in which the cross pin is of oblong form in cross section with the major axis of such form extending lengthwise of the rods.

WAYNE N. MORGAN. 

